EP3C40U484C6N - 39.6KLE Cyclone III FPGA, 484-FBGA | Intel
MPN: EP3C40U484C6N ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $78.5 | $78.50 |
| 10 | $72.1 | $721.00 |
| 100 | $64.8 | $6,480.00 |
| 500 | $57.4 | $28,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $50.2 | $50,200.00 |
EP3C40U484C6N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a type of programmable logic device (PLD) that belongs to the broader semiconductor category of integrated circuits. In the device hierarchy, an FPGA sits between a fixed-function Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) and a general-purpose microprocessor: like an ASIC it implements custom digital logic, but unlike an ASIC its function is defined by a user-loadable configuration bitstream rather than at fabrication time. FPGAs contain configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable routing, embedded memory, DSP blocks, and I/O serdes, and they are used to prototype designs, accelerate parallel workloads, and ship low-to-mid volume products where ASIC NRE is uneconomical.
Key features of the EP3C40U484C6N include support for multiple I/O standards (LVDS, LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL), four general-purpose PLLs for clock management, up to 4 Mb of M9K embedded SRAM, and Cyclone III series static power approximately 50 % lower than Cyclone II. The device supports configuration via JTAG, Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS), and Fast Passive Parallel (FPP) interfaces using the industry-standard Altera/Intel configuration scheme.
Architecturally, the Cyclone III device fabric comprises LABs (Logic Array Blocks) of 16 logic elements each, distributed M9K memory blocks, embedded multiplier blocks for DSP, and per-I/O bank supply pins for mixed-voltage interfacing. The -6 speed grade places this part in the mid-tier of the Cyclone III family, balancing timing margin against cost.
Typical applications include industrial motor control, video processing pipelines, telecom baseband preprocessing, military/aerospace ruggedized subsystems, and ASIC prototyping for mid-complexity designs. Designers choose the U484 (484-pin FBGA) variant when their design requires the maximum 331 user I/O of the EP3C40 die, beyond what smaller packages expose.
When designing with this part, observe the 484-ball BGA fan-out: route all 8 user-I/O bank supplies (VCCIO) and the 1.2 V core (VCCINT) with at least one decoupling capacitor per bank, place a 100 MHz or lower reference clock into a PLL-clean CLK pin, and use Altera Quartus II (legacy) or Intel Quartus Prime for synthesis and place-and-route to guarantee timing closure.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in-compatible Cyclone III alternatives, and PCB layout guidance that the manufacturer datasheet alone does not consolidate in a single view.
Drop-in alternatives for EP3C40U484C6N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with EP3C40U484C6N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Process Technology, Speed Grade, RoHS Status, Family.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP3C40U484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$119.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40U484C8N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$71.04 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40U484A7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$21.45 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40U484I6N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP3C40F484C6N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$312.4 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40F484C7N
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$264 / Unit
View Datasheet →EP3C40U484C6N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Series | Cyclone III |
| Family | FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) |
| Logic Elements (LE) | 39,600 |
| Total Memory Bits | 1,161,216 bits (approx. 1134 Kbit) |
| Embedded Multipliers (18x18) | 126 |
| Maximum User I/O | 331 |
| Number of PLLs | 4 |
| Process Technology | 65 nm CMOS |
| Core Voltage (VCCINT) | 1.2 V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) |
| Speed Grade | -6 (mid-tier) |
| Package | 484-UFBGA (U484), 19 mm × 19 mm, 1.0 mm ball pitch |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Configuration Method | JTAG, Active Serial (AS), Passive Serial (PS), Fast Passive Parallel (FPP) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (Pb-Free) |
EP3C40U484C6N 484-ufbga (u484), 19 mm × 19 mm, 1.0 mm ball pitch Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP3C40U484C6N (484-ufbga (u484), 19 mm × 19 mm, 1.0 mm ball pitch package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for EP3C40U484C6N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP3C40U484C6N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Motor Control, Video Processing Pipeline, Telecom Baseband Preprocessing, ASIC Prototyping Platform, Military / Aerospace Ruggedized Subsystem, Test & Measurement Instrumentation.
Industrial Motor Control
The EP3C40U484C6N is well matched to multi-axis industrial motor control where its 126 embedded 18×18 multipliers accelerate field-oriented-control (FOC) and space-vector PWM math, while the 1.16 Mbit of distributed M9K memory buffers phase-current and resolver feedback samples. Placed between 3.3 V Hall-sensor / encoder front-ends and a 1.2 V core, the device's 331 user I/Os expose enough pins for up to 4 three-phase bridges plus auxiliary GPIO. Compared with a Cortex-M microcontroller approach, the FPGA closes the current loop at much lower latency (under 1 µs), improving torque ripple and dynamic response. Designers typically pair the FPGA with EPCOS/TDK power inductors and an IR/Infineon IGBT gate driver such as the IR2110S for the high-voltage side.
Recommended
Video Processing Pipeline
In video broadcast and surveillance designs, the EP3C40U484C6N drives HDMI/DVI input ports, scales HD/SD streams, and bridges to DDR2/DDR3 frame buffers. The 39,600 logic elements comfortably hold a full 1080p60 deinterlacer and scaler, while the 126 hardware multipliers accelerate polyphase resampling without consuming fabric LUTs. The U484 BGA exposes enough LVDS pairs to receive 24-bit RGB plus HSYNC/VSYNC/DE from a Silergy/TI HDMI receiver such as the TFP401A. Power dissipation at 60 fps is typically 1-1.5 W, dominated by the LVDS I/O banks, and fits comfortably within the commercial 0-85 °C window without an explicit heatsink. For higher frame rates or 4K upconversion, migrate to Cyclone IV E or Cyclone V.
Recommended
Telecom Baseband Preprocessing
Cyclic-prefix insertion, FFT pre-processing and crest-factor reduction (CFR) for small-cell LTE/5G base stations fit naturally in the EP3C40U484C6N. The fabric holds a 1024-point radix-2 FFT engine at full LTE 20 MHz bandwidth while the device consumes well under 2 W on the 1.2 V core rail. Four on-die PLLs derive the reference clocks for the radio ADC (such as an ADI AD9268) and a backplane SERDES, with the per-bank VCCIO supporting both 1.8 V CML and 2.5 V LVDS signalling. The U484 package's 331 user I/Os expose enough LVDS pairs to fan out to two radio channels plus CPRI/Ethernet fronthaul. Compared with a DSP processor, the FPGA approach cuts latency by a factor of 5-10 in the same power budget.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping Platform
Design teams use the EP3C40U484C6N to prototype mid-complexity ASICs up to ~2 million gates, leveraging Quartus Prime's incremental compilation to partition the design across multiple FPGA instances. The 39,600 LEs map approximately 2-3× the equivalent ASIC gate count, while the 1.16 Mbit of embedded RAM holds per-block memories and FIFOs that would otherwise require external SRAM. The U484 BGA's high pin count exposes enough GPIO for full-speed ASIC peripheral emulation, including DDR2 controller pins if the prototype board adds an external DRAM. For very large ASICs (>5M gates) teams cascade several EP3C120 or migrate to Cyclone IV GX/Stratix V prototyping boards.
Recommended
Military / Aerospace Ruggedized Subsystem
Ruggedized vetronics, avionics databuses (MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429) and UAV flight controllers adopt the EP3C40U484C6N's industrial / military temperature siblings (EP3C40F484I7N, EP3C40F484I8N) that share the same Cyclone III die. With -40 °C to +125 °C junction temperature range and SEU-mitigation features (CRC on configuration bitstream, optional soft ECC in M9K blocks), the device is a proven platform for DO-254 and MIL-STD-810 designs. The U484 ball map supports dual-redundant 1553 transceivers such as the Holt HI-3585 and four RS-422 ports for legacy avionics, while four PLLs clean the jitter on the 1553 BC/RT clocks. For radiation-hardened missions, consider the Microsemi/RT ProASIC3 or the Xilinx XQR series rather than Cyclone III.
Recommended
Test & Measurement Instrumentation
Logic analyzers, protocol exercisers (I2C/SPI/CAN/UART) and arbitrary waveform generators use the EP3C40U484C6N to capture and re-synthesise high-speed bus traffic. The fabric holds 32 channels of 200 MHz state-mode capture with on-chip compression, while the 126 hardware multipliers compute FFT-based spectral analysis in real time without off-chip DSP. The U484 BGA exposes up to 331 user I/Os, enough for 32 LVDS channels plus PMOD expansion for protocol-specific pods. Total board power is typically 1.5-2.5 W and fits a small aluminium chassis without active cooling. Compared with a discrete-TTL capture approach, the FPGA cuts BOM cost and PCB area by 60-70 % for the same channel count.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP3C40U484C6N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP3C40U484C7N | EP3C40U484I6N | EP3C40U484A7N | EP3C40F484C6N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel | Altera / Intel |
| Package | 484-UFBGA (U484) | 484-UFBGA (U484) - same footprint | 484-UFBGA (U484) - same footprint | 484-UFBGA (U484) - same footprint | 484-FBGA (F484) - same ball count, 1.0 mm pitch vs 0.8 mm |
| Logic Elements | 39,600 LE | 39,600 LE - identical | 39,600 LE - identical | 39,600 LE - identical | 39,600 LE - identical |
| Total Memory Bits | 1,161,216 bits | 1,161,216 bits - identical | 1,161,216 bits - identical | 1,161,216 bits - identical | 1,161,216 bits - identical |
| Embedded Multipliers | 126 (18x18) | 126 - identical | 126 - identical | 126 - identical | 126 - identical |
| Speed Grade | -6 (mid-tier) | -7 (slower than -6) | -6 (same as target) | -7 (slower than -6) | -6 (same as target) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) - same | -40 °C to +100 °C (Industrial) | -40 °C to +125 °C (Automotive) | 0 °C to +85 °C (Commercial) - same |
| Configuration Bitstream | Cyclone III (identical across family) | Cyclone III - bitstream-compatible | Cyclone III - bitstream-compatible | Cyclone III - bitstream-compatible | Cyclone III - bitstream-compatible |
Key Differentiators
- Identical 39,600 LE, 1.16 Mbit memory and 126 multipliers as -7 and -I variants (vs EP3C40U484C7N)
- Commercial temperature window at the lowest price point in the U484 family (vs EP3C40U484I6N)
- Bitstream-compatible across the entire Cyclone III EP3C40 family (vs EP3C40F484C6N)
Design Notes
The 484-ball UFBGA package uses a 0.8 mm ball pitch, which demands 4-layer (or finer) PCB stack-up with microvia-in-pad for reliable assembly. Route each of the 8 VCCIO bank supplies with at least one 0.1 µF X7R decoupling capacitor placed within 100 mils of the corresponding ball, plus a bulk 10 µF per bank. The 1.2 V VCCINT and PLL analog supply (VCC_PLL) each require their own decoupling network with 1 µF + 0.1 µF + 10 µF bulk to suppress switching-noise injection into the phase-locked loops.
Estimated: at 100 MHz fMAX with 60 % utilization and typical 12 mA per I/O, the U484 device dissipates approximately 1.2-1.8 W on a 4-layer PCB with adequate ground pour. The U484's θJA of about 15 °C/W means a junction rise of 18-27 °C above ambient, keeping the junction well below the 100 °C commercial limit. For sealed enclosures without airflow, add a small copper heatsink pad or thermal via array under the BGA thermal pad to drop the junction by an additional 5-10 °C.
Do not assume Cyclone III configuration bitstreams are portable to Cyclone IV E: pin assignments, PLL settings, and I/O standard names differ. Confirm the Quartus II device library is set to EP3C40U484C6 (not EP3C40U484) before synthesizing, otherwise the fitter may produce a non-functional bitstream. For multi-voltage I/O designs, every VCCIO bank must be powered even if unused, or the corresponding inputs float into an indeterminate state that can exceed absolute-maximum ratings during configuration.
For LVDS at >400 Mbps use the dedicated LVDS-capable pins in bank 1, 2, 3, or 4 only; older bank numbers do not support true LVDS. Match trace lengths within ±150 mil for LVDS pairs and ±50 mil for DDR2 interfaces to keep setup/hold margins intact. Place series 100 Ω differential termination resistors as close to the receiver pins as the layout allows.
Compliance Information
The trailing 'N' suffix confirms lead-free (Pb-free) terminal finish. RoHS and REACH compliant per Intel/Altera product declaration. The EP3C40U484C6N itself is not AEC-Q100 qualified; the EP3C40U484A7N variant in the same U484 package is the automotive-grade option. Halogen-free per JEDEC JS709.
